Renee Stevens

Thank you, Carlos. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's great to hear that I made it realistic enough that you could feel it along with the character!

Thank you, Cole! I'm glad that you enjoyed the story. I definitely agree that it's the ones who take care of us. I know I trust my hubby more than just about anyone, and he's been there with me through all the scares I've given him.

Thank you, Parker! I'm glad you enjoyed the story as I wasn't entirely sure about it. Unfortunately, as a migraine sufferer, I know how they feel and I really wanted that to come through.

It's hard to believe that the year is almost over! With the end of the year comes our final 2015 Anthology. The theme for the Winter Anthology was Blackout, and ten authors took the challenge. There are some different takes to the stories and we hope that you enjoy them. Don't forget, if you enjoy a story, leave the author a little note (via review) to let them know how much you appreciate their work! To get you started, here's a brief snippet of each entry. Happy reading everyone! 08:15 AM Redux aditus Romeo was over an hour late. No texts. No messages. And he had forgotten his keys left on the kitchen table. Julian flicked his finger against the little cake pendant. He had found it on Etsy and immediately bought it. A deceptively realistic slice of strawberry cheesecake, with red sauce dripping down its sides. The whole evening he had been feeling inexplicably on edge. When the doorbell rang, he breathed out in relief. Finally! Snatching the key chain, he ran into the hall. Ripping the door open, he grinned. Romeo didn't need to know he had been worried. “Someone forgot their k…” But the smile froze on his face when he saw Ren. Burning Bright Renee Stevens Oh god, not again. I clenched the steering wheel as the first twinges of pain hit. Maybe I could still make it home before the throbbing started. I’d really hoped the new medication would prevent my migraines. They had for the most part, but occasionally one still managed to slip through the cracks. The fuzziness in my vision had been my first indication that a migraine was looming. The colorful zigzag pattern started at the edges of my vision and proceeded to work its way inward, until they multiplied and blurred even more of my vision. It made it impossible to see clearly, and the only respite from the distorted vision was to close my eyes. Christmas Starlight C. When As we passed through the decorated market, lit by the orange glow of ancient lights that simulated ‘sunset’, Marius dragged me across the ‘town square’ at the center of the market past the tall pine tree that grew there, and around the small tables toward the ancient collections stall located against the far wall of the Market Bay. We weaved our way through the throngs of families with children dashing about, the various people surrounding stalls, haggling for the best price, the lines at the food stalls, and others just looking for some excitement. The various stalls had small decorations for the holiday to draw attention to their secondhand and recycled wares. At one stand, a woman was trying to trade a small shirt for a larger one while holding on to a young growing child's hand. Day and Night Drew Espinosa Going to Adam’s, I’ll be back by 9. Love you. The message sent, Luke quickly put away his phone after making sure once more that a teacher wasn’t in sight. With a sigh of relief, he closed his locker and with everything in tow, made his way to the main entrance. Autumn had finally set in, the trees were now mostly bare and most of the leaves had finally dispersed, with some colorful patches still seen here and there. With the afternoon sun shining so brightly, Luke hoped it might be a warm day. But after stepping outside the school’s main doors, a cold breeze blew past him. Luke wisely zipped up his sweater and after adjusting his backpack, placed his hands in his pockets. Escape Valkyrie My head hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. I groaned and sat up, only to immediately lie back down due to the shooting daggers of pain exploding through my skull. What the hell did I do last night? And where the hell was I? I was lying on the floor, as my back was very clearly letting me know. I sat up much more slowly this time, and opened one of my eyes, then the other one. It was pitch black, wherever I was. The pain in my head lessened to a dull ache. My body felt like it’d been run over by a freight train. I tried to remember the last thing I did, but felt a surge of panic as I realized I had no memory. As in none. I didn’t even remember my name. I fished in my pocket, relieved to find my cell phone. I turned it on, wincing from the bright light slicing through the impenetrable ink. Falling Cia “No, no, no.” The junk ship assigned to me had parts shaking loose every time I landed, but during my last furlough, it’d supposedly gone through a thorough diagnostic and repair. From the outside, well… it still looked like a rusty pile of shit, but nothing had been dangling from damaged hinges or loose wires for once. “Fucking Anslough.” He was the lead mechanic. I’d blown him once and then let him suck me off, but his skills had been on par with his repair abilities; I should have known better—on both counts. Now I was about to crash on an uncharted planet in an unresponsive ship. Hard. I banged on the panel with my fist, and the display lit up once, flickered… then went black. My internal links didn’t work, the backup system was down, the engines unresponsive, and I couldn’t even close the external viewport screens. Lights On! aditus Black out – Lights on! Seeing what is veiled By the dark. Prying Ears craftingmom "... come on, dude, you have to go..." Colt paused as he passed by Ryan's door. He smiled at the voice of his son's new friend, Trent, from down the street. It had taken Ryan a couple of months before he'd even talk to any of the other teens who played basketball at the neighborhood court. Ryan had come a long way since he'd moved in with Colt and Shane, but he still had a ways to go. Colt knew Trent was a decent kid, having met his parents at several of their block parties. Trent had caught Ryan watching their pick-up basketball games several times, and even though Ryan had tried to avoid the boy, Trent had been determined to draw him out. Storm Survivors Carlos Hazday The intermittent rain had begun late the previous evening. As Jessie eased the skiff away from the dock, there had been no sunrise to enjoy―gray clouds blanketed the sky. Heading out on the Guana River, the young man kept glancing towards the west, where the darkness above him appeared to expand with each passing minute. His furrowed brow hinted at the growing apprehension the Texan was experiencing; this one was going to be a big one. The frequency of periods with precipitation and gusting winds steadily increased, as he used the fishing net to retrieve each catch. An hour or so after setting out, Jessie decided it was best he remove himself from the path of the intensifying storm. It was time to return to the environmental station building which had become home to him, Lars, and Aitor over the previous year. The Embers Cole Matthews I stood in the entryway of the restaurant, rather disgusted by what I was witnessing. A cook was in clear view in the kitchen window picking his nose. He was really digging in there, and had a haunted, almost vacant look on his scruffy face. I wanted to turn around and walk away, but I couldn’t. For some reason, this place had drawn me. "Can I help you?" a woman's voice diverted my attention. She was in her late teens, possibly early twenties, and still had a rash of angry acne on her cheeks. Her impossibly blonde hair with telltale brown roots was tied back in a ponytail. Her white shirt had light pink stains on the sides and arms, and her black apron was crusty and smeared with something white and pasty. The Light Headstall He stood in nothingness. Mired. It was an endless void… limbo… and somehow, he knew that. But he was also aware there was a defined path. A direction beckoned, like a pull on his cells, urging him, no, commanding him to obey. He wasn’t supposed to have a choice. He understood that too. Could he accept this new reality? Could he let go? He should be pleased the debilitating pain was gone, yet what it signified was worse, wasn’t it? Yes. His awareness grew, and fed his conviction. He’d be leaving something precious and irreplaceable behind if he took the fated course, the artery he could feel pulsing beneath his feet. Sight wasn’t needed here, though he still possessed functioning eyes, for he could see a light in the distance. It was a heavenly orb that flared gold on the outer edges. The center, though, was the purest white… a revelation that drew him. He had to look away. The power of that light, its beauty and its call, were too strong, too insistent. A siren? A promise? Another chance? He didn’t care. He wasn’t ready. Dammit. He needed time. 2015 Winter Anthology Support Team Anthology Coordinator Renee Stevens Proof Team Cia Valkyrie Johnathan Colourfield Anthology Banner Creation Mann Ramblings

Oh god, not again. I clenched the steering wheel as the first twinges of pain hit. Maybe I could still make it home before the throbbing started. I’d really hoped the new medication would prevent my migraines. They had for the most part, but occasionally one still managed to slip through the cracks. The fuzziness in my vision had been my first indication that a migraine was looming. The colorful zigzag pattern started at the edges of my vision and proceeded to work its way inward, until they m

Bryce has suffered from migraines for years. He's finally on a migraine preventative, but even that can't stop all of them. When one hits at an inopportune time, he has to depend on Kevin to take care of him.

Typically, this would have been posted last week, but better late than never. For those who don't already know, Dark provides us with the Ask An Author feature. Members send in their questions for authors and Dark goes about getting the answer and then compiles those into this wonderful feature. Don't forget, if you have a question for an author, but don't want to ask it, send it to Dark! Ask an Author #34 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #33, we had questions for nine different authors in an extra-special feature. In AtA #34, we hear from authors ColumbusGuy, craftingmom, and pmdacey. For their protection, the members who asked these questions shall remain nameless (unless they choose to reveal themselves). Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual. First up is author ColumbusGuy, who first appeared in AtA #29 a few months back. I’m sure it’ll come as a shock to know that this author is from Columbus, Ohio. You probably will remember this guy as the author of Jay & Miles, but there’s also Pompeii Passions, which is way better than the movie. Of course, I like historical fiction and convoluted characters. Still, if you haven’t branched out to some of ColumbusGuy’s other stuff, you’re missing out. For shorter works, check out his prompts. Oh, and did you know this guy likes to garden? Perhaps he can talk some sense into my black thumb… To ColumbusGuy: I think Jay and Miles is very evocative of its time and setting, and I have read in your forum that this is your first attempt at non-historical fiction, so what inspired you to begin writing the piece? In all honesty? Regrets for lost chances, and a desire to go back and explore what might-have-been. Miles' thoughts and feelings are so bound up in how I was in high school back then, that it is like a second chance to go back and do things right this time; knowing what you want in your relationships isn't enough if you don't have the courage to try for it--I had the same invitation that Miles was presented with--the very same circumstances and joking references leading up to it--despite his fears, Miles took the risk and said yes to himself, and opened up to his Jay. I didn't, and what could have been more than a casual friendship lost any hope when graduation came around. More recently, the historical fiction was going well, even with some male-male experiences thrown in since they were acceptable in the Ancient World--but it was academic in a sense...it wasn't real--and the only way I could begin to gather myself together was to tell my own experience in my past where it would have made a difference. My urge to write at GA came after reading AC Benus' Dignity--it showed me how much more there could be to gay fiction than simple eroticism or blatant sex. Without that story, I wouldn't have written Jay & Miles--his was the first hand extended in friendship to a newbie. Subsequent events morphed it into more than a series of prompts. I had a health scare this past summer, and I realized that if I was going to be true to myself, then I had to stop hiding behind historical creations and situations--my real dreams needed to come out into the open, hence: Jay & Miles began as a series of prompt responses--and well--Mikey and Jay just won't shut up until they tell me I've gotten myself out there completely. This had been eating at me since 2007: I've had some good relationships, but none the life-long kind I'd always wanted--in that year, my longest one (and it could have been the life-fulfilling one) came to an end when my love succumbed to overwhelming stresses he was under from family and other problems and took his own life...the allegedly homophobic ex-military man came to me, sharing his feelings, his sad poetry, and himself physically and spiritually with me for years until he couldn't handle things anymore--so besides helping to reweave my past I hope I'm helping to give him some peace of mind--that in a better world, we both could have finished our lives in a happier place together. Next up, in her Ask an Author debut, is Promising Author craftingmom. You can find stories from this author in many a genre, including young adult. Look her up on GoodReads under pen name Taylor Ryan. Craftingmom likes stories filled with angst. She likes taking hurt, lost, and abused characters and giving them a new start in a safe place with people who love them. Tears of the Neko was her first story here on GA, but her latest is just as compelling. Recently completed is Lie of the Serpent, a story filled with monsters, mystery, and revenge and, of course, friendships and love. Find a new character to fall in love with and read craftingmom today! To craftingmom: Is it difficult writing a character's struggle to get through abuse and hardships? Finding ways to resolve them? Yes, I cry--a lot. I often try to put myself in the character's place, getting into their head, their thoughts and feelings of guilt and hopelessness and such, relaying as much of the emotional turmoil that I think someone would almost have to be feeling in such a situation--and I try to write it as realistically as possible. I figure the more emotion and struggle that I can convey that the character is going through, the more the reader will feel it as well. I go through a lot of tissues when I'm writing highly emotional scenes, often having to stop to dry my eyes long enough to read the screen. I know that I sometimes drag my readers through a bunch of emotional turmoil, but I hope that it's because I've managed to create for them a connection to my characters that makes them feel real. Then when the resolution finally comes, I hope readers feel some satisfaction in the ending, hope that things will be better; healing takes time and patience, and of course love. Yes, I'm an emotional sap. We finish up today with author pmdacey, who comes to us from Portland, Oregon. 2014 brought us more chapters of Things are Different, which was sadly put on hold in early 2015, but was very much enjoyed by readers. It’s the story of Jay, who moves from Texas to Portland and made me wonder from early on how much was based around pmdacey’s own life. In addition, google his husband’s name to find some cool art. To pmdacey: How did you overcome the writers blocks that almost overwhelmed you the first time you tried to tell your Portland story "Things Are Different?” I have to overcome it every time I sit down to write (when I can find the time to write). I have to constantly remind myself to not care what other people think, that I am telling this story for myself. It is a story I would want to read and if other people like it, then that is a bonus. Not only that, but it is also a deeply personal tale. It is fiction, but the characters, in a sense are very real. I suppose I have always struggled with some form of writer's block and it initially took putting "Things Are Different" out there anonymously and getting some positive feedback to let me expose more and more of myself and grow some of the confidence to handle criticism. The fear of criticism is, after all, what keeps writers from putting pen to paper or an artist putting brush to canvas. That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat! See you next time, with authors A.C. Benus, Aditus, and the return of Mark Arbor! Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

Hope everyone has had a great weekend so far! Just a reminder that the Secret Santa Christmas Story Contest deadline is on the 15th. Let's get right into this week's wrap up! This is going to be quick, since I'm watching a 2 year old and worried he's going to wake up, lol. On Monday, we had the discussion day for Lilansui's story "A Rescued Life". Wednesday we announced our newest Promising Author, Headstall. If you haven't already done so, go congratulate him! Friday, we had two new prompts as well as the new poetry prompt. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th By our Promoted Authors: The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium* GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban Black Widow by Mark Arbour The Holly and the Ivy by aditus It Had to be Good! - Christmas at Famous-Barr 1929 by AC Benus No Flash by Cia Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings Holding Back by Thorn Wilde Shelter by Comicality Cards on the Table by Headstall Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Finally, the end of the week and time for a couple of new prompts to inspire you. I hope everyone got in their Anthology entries, as the deadline was yesterday and it is now closed to new entries. If you had thought about doing an anthology, but wasn't able to, maybe you have a holiday themed story for the Secret Santa Christmas Contest. The deadline for that is December 15th. There are some great prizes for the top three stories, just make sure to read the rules thoroughly. Now, let's see what we have for prompts this week. Prompt 464 - Creative Tag -First Line "When are they due to arrive?" Prompt 465 - Creative Tag - The Storm Everyone is due to spend their vacation at the cabin you rented. Soon after arriving, a storm comes through the area cutting you off from civilization. Trapped, people reveal who they really are. Is this good or bad? Poetry Prompt #16 Write one Carol suitable for the month of December. It can be a Nature-inspired song, or one based on any of the many holidays in the 12th month: Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, Hanukkah, Milad un Nabi, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, New Year's Eve, or even Festivus (for the rest of us). Have fun, but provide a lyric set of stanzas (I'd say about 4 or 5) and a refrain. Use any metre or rhyme scheme you feel is best. You can read more about this type of prompt here. I hope you enjoy the prompt responses that members have completed in the last week. (You can read/review the complete response at the link listing which prompt was used) Doctor Oger - Prompt #460 Craftingmom - Tanka Poem Timothy M - Prompt #429

Congratulations again, Gary!

Please join the Author Promotion Team in congratulating Headstall as GA's newest promoted author! Headstall joined the site in April of 2014 and only started writing earlier this year. Headstall has become a favorite of many on site. Not just for his ongoing serial story, Cards On The Table, but for his reviewing of many stories on site. Headstall writes both fiction and poetry and we look forward to seeing what other stories he brings to the site! Check out his work.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend, and for those who celebrated, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Before we get into the wrap up, I'd like to remind everyone once again that the Winter Anthology is just around the corner. If you have a story that you plan to submit, the deadline is coming up fast. I hope to see even more stories come in over the next few days. Now, lets see what happened this past week. For our Monday featured story, we had a review from LitLover of JohnAR's story MetaShadowlands. Wednesday we started our new blog feature, Author Promo's. Our pilot post was focused on Carlos Hazday and three of his stories. Want to know which stories? Check out the post! Friday we revisited some of the first Poetry Prompts that AC Benus has been providing the site. Hopefully one of the prompts inspired you to try your hand at poetry. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2015 Winter Anthology: Blackout - Due December 3rd 2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th By our Promoted Authors: The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium* Attempts at Poetry by craftingmom Black Widow by Mark Arbour The Holly and the Ivy by aditus Agenda 21 by Comicality No Flash by Cia Katie's Sketchbook - Christmas at Famous-Barr 1976 by AC Benus Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings Holding Back by Thorn Wilde Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

You're very welcome, Carlos!

It's time to start our new blog feature: Author Promos! Authors were allowed to choose up to three of their stories to be promoted in the blog. For each story, they had the same three questions to answer. For our debut blog entry, we're bringing you Carlos Hazday with his stories Melvin Ford, Children of the Dust, and Happy New Year. Enjoy! Carlos Hazday Author 16 stories * 777 reviews * 287,170 total words Melvyn Ford Description: A 1929 Ford Model A Tudor is passed from father to son, through several generations. What gave you the idea for this story? The idea for the story came from a photo prompt posted by Comicfan. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? Aside from the obvious close family ties described, I loved being able to hint at societal changes taking place in the United States in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. The story blurs the lines between gay/non-gay stories. Historical and fictional events are mixed together, to provide a backdrop for the love affair between four men, and the car they all own at some point. It’s a subtle commentary on how Americans, and their attitudes towards same sex relationships, have changed over time. Children of the Dust Description: The story of two young men, and how the Vietnam War affected their lives. What gave you the idea for this story? The idea for the story came from an article about Ameriasian kids I’d read the week prior to writing it. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? I enjoyed working out the way the two main characters connected initially and then reconnected after many years. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. Although the story is fictional, the historical events are accurate. The fall of Saigon meant an unknown number of children, fathered by American GIs, where trapped in a country which had no use for them. Happy New Year Description: The Lumberjack & The Professor What gave you the idea for this story? A comment about one of my stories having characters who were stereotypical gay fantasies made me want to write about a connection being made between blue and white collar workers which wasn’t stereo typical itself. Around that time, someone on Facebook replied to one of my posts by telling me I racism was not a problem in America any more. Ha! What was your favorite thing about writing this story? Setting it in the middle of Minnesota was a challenge for someone who lives on the beach. But I fell in love with the northern woods a long time ago while traveling in the area. I was fun to dredge up those memories. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. Although this is a love story, racism plays a part in strengthening the bond between the characters.

It's a new week and it's time to take a look at one of the many stories that are posted for your enjoyment on Gay Authors. Today, Liltlover has provided us with a review of MetaShadowlands. Enjoy. MetaShadowlands by JohnAR Author Reviewer: Litlover Status: Complete Word Count: 102,329 MetaShadowlands is the third book of the MetaWolf series by JohnAR. Most readers will attest to the fact that the Meta series is a series unlike any others you have probably read. Love it or hate it, there is little doubt that it is not your everyday werewolf story. Fair warning to those of you who haven’t read the first two books in the series, this review may contain spoilers. MetaShadowlands is centered around (1) Colt Parker: a sometimes abrasive, occasionally hard to like, but highly intelligent, self-depreciating nerd with a strong Dominant streak, and (2) the wolf pack he has become the “Meta” for. The first book in the series explained how a Meta is an individual with power over the Alpha and the inner circle of a pack, providing guidance and direction to a pack that is traditionally ruled exclusively by instinct. The Meta is an evolution in some modern day packs to help wolves deal with the reality that brains, more than brawn, are required for success in today’s world. In this book Colt is becoming more comfortable with his role as Meta and using the power that comes with it. In the last book, MetaOrigins, Colt learned something about himself that had the potential to rip the pack apart. MetaShadowlands starts with Colt being separated from his wolves and coming to terms with his choices and dealing with the consequences of his actions. In MSL the pack as a whole is changing and evolving. They are fighting rogue wolves, seemingly treacherous wolf packs and vampires, with one vampire Queen in particular continuing to cause them no end of trouble. They are also challenging for land and cultivating allies with other packs around the world in preparation for an anticipated war against the vampires. As always, Fate (and I capitalize Fate on purpose) has wielded her influence in the lives of the wolves and has worked to bring the pack together. Colt has a strong dominant streak, and he likes to dominate hunky men, especially marines. Lucky for him most of the wolves in his pack are ex-marines, heavily muscled and submissive to him. As the pack is dealing with all of the upheaval in their lives Colt is still “sniffing out” new pack members. We meet more new wolves in this book, including Sam Sr., Leo and Warren. We are also re-introduced to Al. Other secondary characters come in to play in this book, including Prime’s brother, Seb, and his girlfriend Emma, who has potential to be a great confidant for Colt, if he ever loosens up and trusts anybody. Thrown into the mix are the Meta Prompts chapters, which John posts weekly, before each new series chapter. These prompt chapters give readers more maddening clues to unlock the mysteries of the MetaVerse. The prompts should be read in the order intended to prevent accidental “spoilers.” In Colt, John has created a character that often causes a furor of reactions in readers ranging from wanting to slap him to wanting to hug him. Colt is not your traditional cuddly hero. We continue the debates from book 1 and 2 about the role of scents in this world and whether or not those scents can or do translate to love. The opinions of Colt’s actions and ideas often cause a lot of ranting and debate in the forum, which, for me, is a part of the fun of Meta. One of the first lessons you need to learn in the MetaVerse is that you have to be careful who you trust because nothing and no one are what they seem at first glance. John loves nothing more than to pepper each chapter with obscure hints and red herrings and watch us spin in circles as we try to decipher meaning behind normally benign actions and conversations. There are cliff-hangers and twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat while cursing Colt, the wolves, John and your computer. I came to this series from a unique position compared to many other MetaWolf readers. Anyone who knows me on GA, knows that I am, in general, a sappy romantic and don’t care for stories involving polyamorous relationships or ménage storylines. However, I decided to test my own boundaries and give the story a chance. I went into the first book thinking that I would give it an honest try, but did not expect to get past the first few chapters. I have now finished book 4 in the series, which should give you an indication of my revised opinion about this story. Although I still am not a fan of polyamory or ménage I have (semi)jokingly told John that I deal with those aspects of the story by imagining the pack are just a group of REALLY close army buddies. I will never enjoy polyamorous relationship stories or ménage storylines, but I have found that this story is less a romance and more a dark mystery and adventure, with a little BDSM and steamy nerd on wolf sex thrown into the mix. Regardless of whether you want to hug Colt or strangle him (or our sadistic, closed mouth author for that matter), I can guarantee that you will not be bored reading MetaShadowlands. I challenge you to give the MetaWolf series a try. John has now posted 4 complete books and has started posting his 5th of 8 books in the series, so there is still a lot more debate and ranting to come if you want to join us in the forum to vent.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend so far, maybe even found some time to write. Just as a reminder, we have two great events coming up within the next month. If you're writing a Christmas story, maybe think about entering it in the 2015 Secret Santa Contest. If you're not writing a holiday story, there's still time to participate in Blackout, the 2015 Winter Anthology. Now, lets recap what happened in the blog this past week! Monday we featured a story I personally love, Confounded by Andr0gene! The great response even prompted Andr0gene to post another chapter of it's sequel. If you haven't already read the review, why not check it out? It might even prompt you to take a gander at the story. I don't think you'll be disappointed. There are a lot of grammar myths out there. On Tuesday, Cia provided us with a look at some common grammar myths that aren't necessarily true. Wonder if you've fallen prey to these grammar myths? Check out the post that Cia put together. Friday brought us a couple of new prompts. We ran out of prompts and since Comicfan is having a few computer issues, I tried my own hand at the prompts. I hope everyone enjoys them. For the featured prompt, we took a look as CassieQ's latest prompt response. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2015 Winter Anthology: Blackout - Due December 3rd 2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th By our Promoted Authors: The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium* New Kid In School by Comicality Lost & Found by aditus Black Widow by Mark Arbour The Holly and the Ivy by aditus Kiss Of An Angel by Comicality Gay Metal by carringtonrj Katie's Sketchbook - Christmas at Famous-Barr 1976 by AC Benus Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings Prompts? by CassieQ Holding Back by Thorn Wilde Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings Confounded: Part II by Andr0gene; Book 2 of Confounded Cosmic Inception by Cia Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Well, it's Friday again and since Comicfan is without a computer right now, and I'm out of prompts, I guess I'm just going to have to wing it. Since Thanksgiving is next week, I decided to do one prompt using it and one not (sorta). Hopefully you enjoy these prompts and if you do, don't forget to share it in the prompt forum. Prompt #462 - Creative Tag - List of Words Use the following words in your prompt: Thanksgiving, turkey, dog, cornucopia, pilgrim Prompt #463 - Creative Tag - Noisy Party Your neighbor is constantly having huge parties where the noise levels are unbearable. You've asked them before to keep it down, but they never seem to listen. This time, not only can you hear music coming through the wall, but the sounds of screaming. You decide this is it, it's time to call the cops. What do the cops find when they show up at the party? For this weeks feature prompt response, we're taking a look at CassieQ's response to Prompt #461: Read what happens next

Your welcome Cole, but I can't take credit. Cia did the entire write up, I just posted it

The hardest part of self-editing is knowing when you're doing something wrong if you don't actually know you're doing something wrong. You might have an inkling and check a reputable source and figure out how to fix your sentence or story, but, other times, you might think you know what you're doing yet still get it wrong. But sometimes we're taught wrong. I think many older authors will recognize these grammar don't rules that are really grammar do rules! Grammar Myths We All Know Wrong Ending a Sentence with a Preposition First off a preposition is a word that relates time, place, or direction. Basically, everyone knows preposition words like on, over, down, up, but let’s give some examples of each of the basic prepositions you’ll commonly find or use. For Example: Prepositions with Place: These words link the noun with a particular spot, indicating location or position. Near: He parked near my car in the lot. Off: The cat jumped off the counter. Behind: The extinguisher is behind the door. Prepositions with Time: These words tell us when something is happening. On: We play jokes on April Fool’s Day. At: Dinner is at six. In: Christmas is in December. Prepositions with Direction: These relate to movement of the subject. Over: We flew over the mountains. To: We drove to the party. Across: The ball bounced across the floor. Now, you’ll notice that none of those sentences end with a preposition. But plenty of times a sentence can end with a preposition and still be correct. The myth that it is “proper English” not to do so comes from severely outdated rules that apply to Latin contructs. Well… we don’t speak Latin anymore, and the English language is constantly evolving. It is unnecessary formal to always bury the preposition inside a sentence. For example: The little boy had no one to play with vs. The little boy had no one with whom to play. Who were you talking to? vs. To whom were you talking? There’s nothing to be scared of vs. There’s nothing of which to be scared. Which would you use? Which sounds more natural? Of course, most of the time you can find a way to place the preposition within the sentence, but if you can’t, don’t worry about it! Go ahead and drop it at the end of a sentence and move on! Beginning a Sentence with a Conjunction I bet students who had this rule drummed into them as kids caught my gaffe earlier in this post where I used ‘But’ to begin a sentence. It wasn’t a mistake though, because it isn't actually improper grammar. This is something that I was corrected on and smacked hands over a few years back before I learned better. Let's see how authors have been ignoring this so-called ‘rule’ for forever. For Example: In a Romeo and Juliet the play begins with two Capulet men having a discussion in Verona where this so called ‘rule’ is ignored: Sampson says, “I strike quickly, being moved.” Gregory says, “But thou are not quickly moved to strike.” The first pages of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has: I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I would go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Book One Prologue has this passage in the prologue: They are possessed from the first the art of disappearing swiftly and silently, when large folk whom they do not wish to meet come blundering by; and this art they have developed until to Men it may seem magical. But hobbits have not, in fact, studied magic of any kind, and their elusiveness is due solely to a professional skill that hereditary and practice, and a close friendship with the earth, have rendered inimitable by bigger and clumsier races. Chapter One of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins uses: The last thing I needed was another mouth to feed. But Prim begged so hard, cried even, that I had to let him stay. So if you feel like starting a sentence with and, but, for… feel free!

It's time to take a look at another story. This week, Timothy M has provided us with a review of Confounded by Andr0gene. This is actually one of my favorite stories by Andr0gene and I've re-read it a few times. I hope that you enjoy it as much as Timothy and I did. Confounded by Andr0gene Promising Author Reviewer: Timothy M. Status: Complete Word Count: 24,632 What happens when a self-confident, possessive but caring man with a huge capacity for love and sex falls head over heels in love with a sarcastic, prickly and skeptical guy who isn’t used to showing his feelings and has no intention of getting involved with his boss? Yup, you’ve guessed it: Sparks fly! Nobody does this scenario better than Andr0gene, and my favorite story is Confounded I (together with the even better, but as yet Incomplete sequel Confounded II). Meet Mitchell and Taylan who might be said to embody the concept ‘Opposites attract.’ They spend the early part of the story teasing and arguing, while being hopelessly drawn to each other. Fireworks are probably more accurate than sparks, and whirlwind romance and seduction could be other good descriptions for Confounded. The story switches from one POV to the other, and while this may be confusing in some stories, it works well here. We start off with Mitchell explaining his interest in Taylan and go on to chuckle about Taylan‘s mistaken belief that his boss is straight and married. Of course, he’s somewhat excused, because Mitchell does have a son, Kit, who plays a huge role in his life as well as in the story. In addition, Kit is the main character in the sequel, even though we also learn more about the volatile, but fun relationship of the two adults. It’s kind of hard to pin down why I appreciate the way Confounded is written. But the dialogue and the internal comments from both men make me laugh, and I have several favorite scenes and phrases I like to revisit. The McDonalds breakfast, the game store visit, the ‘sexual preferences’ talk, and of course the initial scene where Taylan tries to brush Mitchell off. The latter features these typical reactions of Taylan towards his boss: He glanced sideways with those slate-grey eyes of his. At the moment, there was a curious look in them, but for some reason, I got the weird thought that they could become stormy if he was angered enough. *** That was the damn problem with him; he was an asshole, yes, but a damn attractive one. Well, that's in the eye of the beholder, isn't it? This beholder thought he was; I couldn't deny that he was attractive. *** "We had a server crash today because someone was downloading heavily. De mail server bottomed out." Almost immediately, his eyes went, tada; stormy. Uh-oh, not good. "Who?" Came the curtly asked question through clenched teeth. "That's what I'm trying to find out," I replied shortly, "so...if you don't mind? Sir?" The situation deteriorates from there, and while Mitchell may be domineering and determined, he has more than met his match in Taylan. There is tearful drama, but it’s fun and heartwarming, and I couldn’t help cheering Mitchell on in his pursuit of Taylan. I also felt proud of Taylan for knowing when to fight and when to fold and accept the inevitable. You might be surprised at what it took. Please give Confounded a try, and if we’re enough readers yelling for ‘More!’ I’m sure Andr0gene will finish the sequel. Part 2 is already more than twice the length of Part 1 and has even more fun, drama, tears, and romance. Don’t hesitate to read both, because the main issues of the sequel have been resolved, and we’re simply waiting for the mop-up. Or even better: for Andr0gene to be inspired to unfold new scenarios featuring the awesome, huggable guys of Confounded. There is a story topic, but it's been inactive since 2011 http://www.gayauthor...ded#entry292373, but the sequel has a story discussion topic which has been more recently active: http://www.gayauthor...ounded-part-ii/.

We're going to get right into the wrap up this week, starting with a reminder. The winter anthology deadline is coming up quick and we've only had a couple of entries so far. If you want to participate in the anthology, you need to have your stories to the Anthology Proof Team by December 3rd. Hope to see lots more entries come in! Now, let's see what happened in the GA news blog this past week. This week was our Signature Author week and we started it out by featuring CJames with our new Signature Author Feature. Not only does the author get a banner that displays in GA Stories for the next month, but a smaller banner is also included for anyone to use as their signature. If you liked the start of the week, you should check out the excerpt that went up on Wednesday to finish out the Signature feature. If you're in the mood to write a Christmas short story, you really should check out the post about this years Secret Santa Short Story contest! Entries are due by December 15th, but make sure to check out the entry rules and submission procedure. Friday brought a couple of new prompts to the table for both new and experienced authors to play with. If you've thought about writing, but haven't yet taken the plunge, the prompts are a great way to get started. For the featured story, we featured JohnAR's newest prompt response. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2015 Winter Anthology: Blackout - Due December 3rd 2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th By our Promoted Authors: The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium* The Holly and the Ivy by aditus Thwarted by Renee Stevens Pierre and the Ambiguities – A Filmscript by AC Benus The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase Katie's Sketchbook - Christmas at Famous-Barr 1976 by AC Benus Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings The Caretaker by Rob Colton Shorts to Jump Into by craftingmom No Flash by Cia Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings Twenty-Two Early Poems by AC Benus Grip by Topher_Lydon Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

DOH!!! I am so scatterbrained lately. Thank you LBO!!!!

Have you started working on your Secret Santa Short Story contest entry? If you haven't, and are still trying to come up with ideas for it, maybe one of today's prompts will jump start something for you. Also, another reminder, if you want to participate in the Winter Anthology, the deadline to have your story to the proof team is December 3rd. Now, let's see what prompts we have for today, shall we? Prompt 460 - Creative Tag – First Line “Who invited you?” Prompt 461 – Creative Tag – The Curse You’ve had a wonderful night out with friends. While going from the restaurant to a movie, the group passes a shop promising to tell your fortunes. One of your friends drags the group in. When the gypsy teller gets to you, she stops and the color drains from her face. When you ask what is wrong, she states she knows you are cursed. What is it you are cursed with? This week I've decided to share JohnAR's prompt response to prompt 458, Enjoy! You can finish reading, here.

The rules and guidelines have been updated and so I've unlocked this thread so everyone can discuss the contest, if they'd like.

It ended up being nearly a week before they finally pulled up to Trey’s parents place. Mark had spoken to them off and on throughout the week, the first time was when Trey had called to let Diane and Gary know he’d arrived safe. They’d called Mark as soon as they got off the phone with Trey to let him know they’d heard from him. Mark had been mildly envious that Trey hadn’t called him, but he got over it quickly. They were his parents, but it still sucked. That first phone call was always so br